UPSC Prelims 2014 · Question 87 of 100
UPSC Prelims 2014 question on Six Systems Indian Philosophy
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2014
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectArt and Culture
- TopicIndian Culture
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeDirect
Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?
Show answer
Answer: C. Lokayata and Kapalika
Verdict
The answer is Lokayata and Kapalika. Neither belongs to the six orthodox systems of Indian philosophy.
Analysis
The six darshanas are Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Mimamsa and Vedanta, and they are traditionally grouped in three pairs. Options one, two and four each reproduce one of those pairs exactly. Lokayata, also called Charvaka, is the materialist school and is nastika because it rejects the authority of the Vedas. Kapalika was a Tantric Shaiva sect, that is a religious order rather than a philosophical system at all, so it does not belong on the list on two separate grounds.
Source
Ancient India, old NCERT Class XI by R. S. Sharma.
How to crack it
The six systems come in fixed pairs, Nyaya with Vaisheshika, Sankhya with Yoga, Mimamsa with Vedanta, and that pairing is exactly how the options are built. Recognising three familiar pairs identifies the fourth as the odd one without needing to evaluate it. Keep the astika and nastika division ready as a cross check, since Charvaka, Buddhism and Jainism are the three heterodox schools UPSC returns to most often.